Blyss's Movie Review for:
Main Cast of Characters:
Brad Dourif.........Chucky/Charles Lee Ray
Alex Vincent..........Andy Barclay
Catherine Hicks.........Karen Barclay
Chris Sarandon..........Detective Norris
Dinah Manoff...........Maggie Peterson
Neil Giuntoli...........Eddie Caputo
1988. Rated: R. Genre: Horror; 87 minutes
Hi, I'm Chucky! Wanna play?!
That is the first famous quote from the evil doll, Chucky's mouth in the movie, "Child's Play". This is the movie that started the series of Childs Play films and explains alot you may not know if you have only seen recent sequels of the film. Charles Lee Ray, the Lakeshore Strangler, and his partner in crime, Eddie Caputo are chased by cops. Charles gets shot and Eddie speeds away leaving Charles behind. Charles dips into a local Playland Toys toy store, searching for something to transfer his soul into. He decides at the last minute on a Good Guy Doll when he knocks a display over. He recites the magic spell and a lightening bolt hits the store, catching it on fire. But the spell is successful.
Later, Karen Barclay is looking for a cheap Good Guy Doll because it is all her small son, Andy wants for his birthday. She buys him clothes and other Good Guy toys but she did not have enough money to buy the doll. Andy is upset and so is she. After she gets to work, her friend Maggie tells her that a peddler in the alley has one he will sell her at discount prices. She goes outside and it is a bum. He finally knocks the price down to $30.00 and she takes it home to Andy who is ecstatic. The only problem is that her mean boss makes her work late on her son's birthday because he says they are shorthanded. Maggie says she will take care of Andy. So Karen sees Andy and then goes back. While Karen is at work, Chucky (Andy's new doll) gets mad after Maggie won't leave the television on the 9:00 news and he attacks her. He throws a small ax into her face and she stumbles out of a high floor window to her impending death below.
When Karen gets home and finds out what happened, she is upset. They ask Andy who did it and he says he does not know. The Detective finds small footprints in some flour in the kitchen and checks all of Andy's shoes. Karen is enraged that he would even suggest that her son had something to do with Maggie's death. Then right before the Detective leaves, Andy says Chucky, his doll, told him that he killed Maggie. Karen dismisses it until Andy shows up at Eddie Caputo's house with Chucky a little bit after that. The police want Andy put into a hospital for psychiatric observation and Karen takes Chucky home with her. As she is about to throw out the box that Chucky came in, she realizes that the doll has been talking and moving without the use of batteries. She threatens to throw him into the fireplace and burn him alive if he does not speak and he comes to life and attacks her! Now she knows her son is telling the truth. But will anyone else believe her?
This was an excellent movie for the time period it was made in. When Chucky comes alive when Karen is holding him is really scary and the rage on his face is so pronounced and convincing. Alex Vincent portrays the perfect innocent child who only wanted a friend. He is the cutest little boy! Catherine Hicks is the always loyal mother who will not give up on her child no matter what. I guess I am a sucker for details but I would have liked to have known what happened to Andy's father? How would he have fit into the story? At the end of this film, also no one would have thought that another one could have been made because of the way Chucky was destroyed at the end, but still he did, just like Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare on Elm Street horror movies. You are kind of left hanging at the end of this movie which I guess is supposed to characterize a great horror flick, but I like details. I wanted to know what happened after that.
I rate this film: 7
Blyss